Fruit-picker.



PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903 w'. PENNY. FRUIT PIGKER. APPLICATION FILED NOV.25, 1902,

H0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented September 1, 1903.

IVILLIAM PENNY, OF LANGDON, MISSOURI.

FRUIT-PICIKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 738,061, datedSeptember 1, 1903.

Application filed November 25, 1902, Serial No. 132,757. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PENNY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Langdon, in the county of Atchison and State of Missouri,have invented new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Pickers, of which thefollow ing is a specification.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a device forpicking small fruit; and its object is to provide an extremely simpleand inexpensive device which may be readily attached to a finger andwhich is provided with a hooked cutter, whereby the stems of small fruitmay be readily cut and the fruit deposited in the hand without beingbruised or otherwise injured.

Another object is to so construct the device as to permit it to be wornupon fingers of various sizes, and it is so shaped as to form a rest forthe first joint of the finger, which prevents the accidental removal ofthe cutter from position and protects said finger-joint from injury bythe edge of the cutter.

IVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in thenovel construction and arrangement of the several parts, which will bemore fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a View showing the device in position upona finger. Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the device as constructedfor use upon the left hand. Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 4is a front perspective view of a fruit-gatherer for use upon the righthand, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, l is a spring-metalband curved to form a ring, and one end thereof is rounded, as shown at2, to prevent injury to the finger of the wearer. The opposite end isprovided with an outwardly-extending and downwardly-inclinedrest 3, atthe edge of which is arranged a hook 4, having a V-shaped recess 5therein. This hook is bent at substantially right angles to the rest 3,and the recess 5 extends inward from the rear edge of the hook and isprovided with sharpened edges.

In operation the ring is placed upon the finger at a point directly inrear of the outer joint thereof. Then it desired to pick a berry orother small fruit, the stem is caught within the hook 4: and is cut,whensaid hook is drawn inward, the fruit thereby being deposited in the handof the operator. The action of drawing the hook back will cause thefirst joint of the finger to involuntarily bear down upon the inclinedrest 3, thereby preventing the device from accidentally slipping fromthe finger. The rest 3 also prevents injury to the first joint of thefinger, such as would be occasioned by continually pressing down uponthe forward edge of the band or upon the hook 4:. As the band 1 isformed of spring metal and has its ends free of each other, it can bereadily adjusted to fingers of different sizes. It will be seen that thehook 4: is a continuation of the band and projected material in advanceof the front edge of said band, so that when the first joint of thefinger having the ring disposed thereon is pressed downwardly to bearupon -the upper edge of the hook a reliable and positive engagement ofthe said finger-joint with the hook will ensue in view of the normalprojection of the upper edge of the hook under the first joint of thefinger and the disposal of the ring on the finger in such position as toobtain the placement of the hook, as stated. The downward pressure ofthe first joint of the finger on the upper edge of the hook willnecessarily increase the binding-pressure of the ring on the finger, andsuch increase in binding-pressure will serve to prevent displacement ofthe ring during the operation of severing the stem of the berry.Moreover, it will be seen that the recess 5 opens outwardly through therear edge of the hook, and the upper wall of said recess will receivethe greater impact of the stem when pressure is applied to the latter bythe thumb of the hand of the operator. The lower edge of the hook isblunt or unsharpened in order to avoid injury to the thumb of the handof the operator during the picking operation.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Apicker of the class set forth consisting of a band or ring of springmetal having the lower ends free, one of said ends continuing into adownwardly and forwardly projected hook with a recess opening outwardlythrough the rear edge thereof, the upper edge of the edge of the band orring and disposed in a lo hook being projected materially in advanceplane substantially at right angles to the adof the front edge of theband or ring. jacent portion of the band or ring.

2. A picker of the class set forth, consisting In testimony whereof Iafiix mysignature 5 of a band or ring of spring metal having the inpresence of two witnesses.

ends free and one end continued into a down- XVILLIAM PENNY. wardlyinclined and forwardly projected \Vitnesses: hook, the upper edge of thehook being eX- H. XV. MORGAN,

tended materially in advance of the front JOHN D. DOPF.

